Dear Editor,

I am a regular reader of The Irish Times and enjoy E&L immensely. When I read Anne Byrne's article "Sub crisis getting worse" (E&L, January 23rd). I felt I had to write to you.

We constantly hear from the media about the shortage of national school subs and about how terrible it is that so many untrained subs are teaching in national schools.

I am one of these untrained subs, i.e., I have not got a national school qualification. But I am a secondary school teacher with 12 years of teaching experience - acquired over the last 20 years in between rearing my family.

I used to do primary school subbing but I generally refuse now because I am paid as an untrained teacher. Surely my specialised subject knowledge must be an advantage to a national school class from time to time.

In the secondary school situation a person needs no formal qualification to "sub" and such a person (sometimes a student who has left school in the previous year to two) is paid exactly the same rate as the qualified teacher with years of experience.

I think that we "subs" get a very raw deal. We are not paid during holidays, holy days, sick days or snow days and never receive any increments, etc. In fact, we have no rights at all.

Yours,

(Name and address with

Editor)